A friend of one of soldier Lee Rigby's murderers has been sentenced to three years imprisonment for terror offences.

Ibrahim Hassan (29), also known as Abu Nusaybah, was arrested after a TV interview during which he claimed Michael Adebolajo had been offered a job by MI5. Hassan's co-defendant Shah Hussain (31) was also sentenced to three years after they both pleaded guilty to the dissemination of a terrorist publication on or before May 24 last year – two days after Fusilier Rigby's murder. The charge related to an audio file entitled The Ruling On Insulting The Prophet of Anwar al-Awlaki delivering his The Dust Will Never Settle speech.

Sentencing the men at the Old Bailey, Common Sergeant of London, Nicholas Hilliard QC, told them: "The fact is that one piece of material of this kind is one piece too many.

"You each have a relevant previous conviction.

"This is the second time that each of you have been before a court for an offence before the Terrorism Act – that increases the gravity of this. I am sure that both of you knew that you were playing with fire."

Hassan was also sentenced to three years after he admitted encouragement of terrorism last year relating to five audio files of lectures entitled In Pursuit Of Allah's Governance On Earth.